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 $0^h3X SESSION 1905-1906. ' JUL 20 1942 xxi 



have assiociated with the scientific men of otneTTxranfries, and 

 have seen the isolation in which most of them are accustomed to 

 work, could appreciate the service here rendered to the cause of 

 science by our small provincial Societies, which furnish a great 

 stream of recruits to our large metropolitan Societies. 



He thought that some Societies reduced their eflficiency and 

 even endangered their existence as scientific bodies by making 

 their excursions into luxurious picnics, natural history forming 

 a subordinate part of the programme. 



With regard to evening meetings he said that the most active 

 of the metropolitan Societies make a special feature of exhibits 

 while taking the majority of papers as read ; and he deprecated 

 the reading of original papers of a technical nature, thinking 

 that it would be better to get real workers to treat of unsolved 

 problems of the sciences in which they are interested. 



He deprecated the publication by local Societies of technical 

 scientific papers which would be accepted by the great metro- 

 politan Societies, but advocated original researches being brought 

 before local meetings for discussion, by which benefit might be 

 derived by the authors. Matters, chiefly of local interest, which 

 it was advisable to publish on the spot, should form the bulk of 

 the local Society's annual issue. 



The local Societies might, he said, exert influence with our 

 smaller public libraries in the selection of books on science. 

 Not only is a student of small means unable to borrow from this 

 source the ordinary standard treatises which should be provided, 

 but he can rarely find even the most important books descriptive 

 of the natural history of the district in which the library is 

 situated. They should at least insist that the more important of 

 the larger educational works on science be properly chosen and 

 made available for reference. 



The main object for which the Conferences of Delegates were 

 established was, he thought, to lead to more definite concerted 

 action or co-operation between local Societies in prosecuting 

 certain specified lines of research, but suggestions had been 

 made and enquiries had been started year after year without, in 

 most cases, any satisfactory response, individualism pervading 

 our Scientific Societies as it does everything distinctively British. 

 " Nevertheless," he said in conclusion, " this Conference has 

 other and perhaps equally important uses. It enables the chosen 

 representatives of the various Societies to discuss many general 

 questions in which all are interested ; it brings together many 

 active workers whose exchange of ideas, in private conversation 

 quite as much as in public meeting, tends to the advancement of 

 our common object ; and if none of our resolutions have much 

 binding force in plans for organized research, there cannot be 

 any doubt as to the value of the union in friendship which 

 results from the intercourse that is held." 



A long discussion as to the proper work for local scientific 

 Societies and the methods of piirsuing it followed the Address. 



VOL. XIII. — P.\RT IV. d 



